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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. lash — a whip stroke
  3. wake — a trail
  4. charge — electricity
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. vault — in gymnastics
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. squash — the sport
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. charge — in control
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. cell — in biology
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. cell — a phone
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. branch — a division
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. vault — a safe
  23. lash — to lash out
  24. squash — the vegetable

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com